Stolen Lives Page #3

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# billowing clouds go by and by #

My daddy taught me that song,

gave me lots of shiny gifts.

Your daddy give you shiny gifts, boy?

You walk down this street,

and you turn left on Dixon.

Maybe if you're a good boy,

I'll get you that plane.

You can fly off into

the wild blue yonder.

I'm a... I'm a good boy.

Yes, you are.

Do any of you know is

there any work to get in town?

Yeah, they're doing some new building

on the north side of town.

You can talk to Bill Byrnes.

Byrnes.

You can tell him Delaney

told you to look him up.

- Delaney.

- Yeah.

Thank you. Thank you kindly.

John?

John Wakefield.

John.

Sure is shiny, pa.

John, do you hear me?

Yes, Pa.

Come on.

Wait.

Where'd you get that?

Nice man gave it to me.

Who? What man?

Where is he?

The nice man.

I think I found us a

place to sleep tonight.

Can I go outside?

Why are you gonna stay in the car?

'Cause I'm a good co-pilot.

What does a good co-pilot do?

A good co-pilot never leaves his post.

All right.

Excuse me, uh, Bill Byrnes?

Over there.

You're standin' around

like it's Christmas!

Step it up.

Bill Byrnes?

Can I do for you?

I'm Matthew Wakefield.

I'm looking for work, sir.

I ain't hiring no more drifters.

Too many already.

Could use another

man, and you know it.

What, you want him to take your job?

Mind your own goddamn business.

Drifters.

Delaney said I should stop by.

Don't mean nothing to me.

If you want to get

this thing up on time,

you're gonna need another man.

I don't need your

calculations, college-boy.

Love you too, Byrnes.

Sir, I'm sorry to

bother you, but, uh...

I need the work.

I got a boy I need to feed.

You a thief?

No, sir, I'm a God-fearing man.

Christian, huh?

Well, what can you do, Christian?

You name it, anything, sir.

Cement mixing and stonework?

Sir, masonry, metalwork.

Got a real talent with wood.

When can you start?

Right now, sir.

You go see the big Swede over there.

Swede?

- That's right.

- Thank you, sir.

Sorry to bother you.

All right, let's move it!

Matthew Wakefield.

Call me Swede.

Come on, Mark.

Give it back!

"Dear Mark and Luke,

"I hope you boys are behaving

for Aunt Coral and Uncle Jonas.

"I know you don't

understand why I had to go,

"but I'll be back soon.

"I found a job in a place

where we can start over,

"be a family again.

"John and I miss you two so much.

Your loving father. "

Swede, I know you don't

like to hear this, but...

the Russians were on to something.

Mark my words, in our lifetime,

we will see men living on the moon.

If it'll make these things

lighter, I'm all for it.

Whoa-ho!

Swede, you hear that?

We just got our first complaint

from the man after one month.

Swede, you owe me a buck.

Only if you tell me

why they are lighter.

That's easy.

They'd be lighter because on the moon,

there's a weaker force of gravity.

Bullshit.

You're so full of it, Diploma.

No, gentlemen, I read.

And with knowledge comes power.

Swede.

Give the Italian a hand.

Now, you two knock off early.

And be on time tomorrow.

We're pouring the cement.

Christian.

I need to talk to you.

All right, I'm gonna

go get drunk, you coming?

Yeah, fine.

We can't have this anymore.

He ain't done no harm to nobody.

I told you when I signed on,

I ain't got no place for him.

Look, Christian, I

come to like your kid.

I'd even ask some folks,

but I don't think they

could handle his quirks.

I'm a good worker, ain't I?

You're the best worker I got.

But you getting fired

and me getting fired

is two different things.

Now, you can come to

work tomorrow or not,

but you can't bring the kid.

- Come on.

- Okay.

Spin me, Pa.

Whee!

Fiola and Kramer Toys and Novelties.

Went out of business in the early '70s.

And I looked into this.

Yeah? What'd you find out?

My best guess is that

it's some sort of toy.

Good job.

- Thanks.

- Yeah.

You've reached the

office of the warden

at Pleasant Valley state prison.

Yeah, Lisa.

It's Tom.

I want you to look

into something for me.

I just love all the work

you've put into remodeling the house,

but I can't find a single thing.

Thought it would be nice to mix it up.

Barbara?

Barbara?

Hmm?

It's okay.

I'll get something to clean it.

You know, Barbara, we've

got plenty of the plain.

I just thought it'd

be nice to mix it up.

Barbara?

Barbara?

He doesn't like

anyone to come in here.

I can't live like this anymore.

- No, you can't.

- Hello?

Barb?

We'll be right there, Tom.

- How was your day?

- Pretty good.

So Barb will be down in a minute.

Sit down; I'll make you a cup of coffee.

You can tell me all

about that boy you found.

I want to have Tommy,

Jr. declared legally dead.

It's time, Tom.

I can't keep pretending

that he is gonna come home.

I'm not talking about this right now.

And I'm not letting it go this time.

We have to come to an understanding.

I can't live like this anymore.

I want to clean out his room.

Barb, you have no idea

what you're talking about.

He wouldn't even be that

You don't touch anything

until there is a body.

He would be 18, already a man.

I'm warning you.

Just say it.

Just say it, Tom.

Just say, "My son is dead."

- Thanks, Dan.

- It's okay.

Look, I know what you're gonna say,

but just hear me out.

You know you can't talk to him.

It's not about that.

I want to talk to him about

this kid we just found.

Yeah, sure.

You have been up my

ass ever since you heard

his death sentence might be commuted.

Just give me five minutes.

You know I can't do that.

And besides, the last time

I gave you five minutes,

you almost put him in the infirmary.

That was my son, Russell.

I know.

But I can't help you, Tom.

Please don't come here anymore.

Opening exit.

Have a good night.

Look, you're trying to make this case

about a guy who was found innocent,

who's already serving a life sentence,

and whatever sh*t you

think you have on him,

he can't be tried for it again anyway.

All right...

someone owes me a drink.

This took a lot longer

than I thought it would,

but your idea...

was brilliant.

Is that the...

That's the boy?

I think it's pretty close

to what he looked like.

This is unbelievable work, Lisa.

We got to get this out to

all the channels we know.

I'm on it.

It's not right.

I mean, he's a good kid.

I'm tired.

I know, me too.

What's the matter, Pa?

You sad?

Yeah, John, I'm sad.

Sad like Mama was sad?

No.

No, not like your mama was sad.

Okay.

Hey, Christian, I...

I wish there was something

I could do to help you.

I got to go.

I got to get out of here.

You ready to go, John?

But I'm the co-pilot, not you.

Hold on.

This might just be your lucky night.

What are you talking about?

I think it's pretty damn

clear what I'm talking about,

don't you think?

You just let me do the talking, shy boy.

Hello there.

Hey.

This is your son, right?

Yeah, this is John.

Hello.

Oh, my.

Aren't you a polite little man?

We were never properly introduced.

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